Open AccessQuality control in the histopathology laboratory: An overview with stress on the need for a structured national external quality assessment scheme
Author(s) -
Jayaram N Iyengar
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
indian journal of pathology and microbiology/indian journal of pathology and microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.217
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 0974-5130
pISSN - 0377-4929
DOI - 10.4103/0377-4929.44951
Subject(s) - quality assurance , quality (philosophy) , control (management) , computer science , scheme (mathematics) , external quality assessment , quality assessment , risk analysis (engineering) , medical physics , medicine , operations management , engineering , mathematics , artificial intelligence , mathematical analysis , philosophy , epistemology
The concept of quality control in histopathology is relatively young and less well understood. Like in other disciplines of laboratory medicine, the concept of quality and its control is applicable to pre analytical, analytical and post analytical activities. Assessment of both precision and accuracy performances is possible by appropriate internal and external quality control and assessment schemes. This article is a review of all processes that achieve quality reporting in histopathology. There is a special focus on external quality assessment - a scheme that lacks organization on a national level in our country. Statistical data derived from a small scale external quality assurance program is also analyzed along with recommendations to organize an effective national scheme with the participation of authorized zonal centers.